TrailTorch TT1800 – 2012 Mtbr Lights Shootout

MTBR Light Meter Measurements:
This light measured 133 lux ont the MTBR Lux setup. This is competitive at this price point and is in line with other lights in this price point and claimed lumens. The other lights in its range are:

Light	Price	Claimed Lumen	Measured Lux
Light and Motion Seca 1400	$700.00	1400	112
Lupine Wilma 6	$695.00	1200	113
Niterider Pro 1500	$350.00	1500	115
Serfas True 1500	$390.00	1500	133
Trail Torch TT1800	$395.00	1800	133
Exposure Six Pack	$600.00	1925	135

The Beam Pattern

At the end of the day, it’s really all about the beam pattern. And the TT1800 delivers with a wide, long beam that is very even. There’s no hotspots or artifacts in the pattern. It’s clean and the throw is excellent. At high speed, this light really delivers as you can see a long way, yet the periphery is lt up as well. The beam pattern is more rectangular rather than round and that’s a good thing. That means the optics have been designed to point the light at the trail to make use of all this available light.

Light Meter Charts and Comparison Table »

Strengths:

Extremely high, hand-made quality
Light output is bright and competitive with products in its price range
Beam pattern is bright, wide and square-shaped
2.5 hour run time on high
Very good heat dissipation
Excellent electronics that keep light output constant and manage heat well if necessary.
Very good connectors
12 volt DC power allows some options like plugging it in a car battery and other sources.

Weaknesses:

Battery form factor is a bit big and could be packaged better

Note: We had some concerns about no smaller battery available but that will be availalble in a couple weeks. Also, we wished for just a slightly wider beam pattern but that is being addressed as well with a lens option.

Bottom Line:

This is a very well made product from CandlePower and we would like to see more products from this company. If you want one of the brightest helmet lights around, this is a great choice.

Beam Pattern Photos: